Skopje, 28 October 2025 (MIA) – The law on professional development and training of administrative servants represents an essential reform that bridges the decades-old gap between the aspiration for a European administration and the reality being built today, said Minister of Public Administration Goran Minchev at a public discussion Tuesday named “Investment in Knowledge – Path to a More Efficient Administration”.

“With this law, we are laying the foundations of a system that will be transparent, efficient, and honest. A system that will rely on professionals, in which people will advance based on knowledge and not through connections,” Minchev said.

According to the Minister, the establishment of a Public Administration Academy will provide structured training and competency development, with every newly hired employee undergoing 120 hours of training and taking an exam before an expert commission.

French Ambassador Christophe Le Rigoleur reaffirmed France’s support for the reforms, stressing that the modernization of the administration is not only key for the country’s European integration, but also for the citizens.

“Public administration reform is necessary for the citizens that expect an efficient, modern, and transparent administration. Trust in the administration is the basis for trust in democracy,” Le Rigoleur said.

Ambassador Le Rigoleur spoke about the project for the establishment of the Academy, planned for 2027, underscoring that France will make the best of its expertise available.

“Training is essential, but what matters even more is to select the best, to value their work and to allow them to develop,” the Ambassador added.

The director of the Center for Change Management, Neda Maleska-Sachmaroska, emphasized the importance of a learning culture within the institutions, calling for a change in how training is perceived.

“The Academy alone is not enough, it is necessary that we build a learning culture that will enable employees to develop new competencies,” Maleska-Sachmaroska said.

She warned that training is often seen as a formality, not as an investment, and urged management structures to treat it as an investment with the highest return.

“An investment in knowledge is an investment in the country’s future. The employees should see learning not as an obligation, but as an opportunity for personal and professional development,” Maleska-Sachmaroska underscored.

MIA file photo